More than 190 businesswomen graduated from PwC’s Faranani [working together] Rural Women Training Initiative held in Waterfall City.
Through the financial services company’s programme, the women were equipped with practical business skills to advance their informal businesses to small and medium-sized enterprise status.
The training is designed to unlock the business potential of rural women, empowering them to generate their income and become meaningful contributors to the South African economy.
On June 14, Shirley Machaba, the CEO of PwC South Africa and Faranani (working together) Rural Women Training Initiative director said the beneficiaries were taught how to develop a business plan.
Machaba added the business plan included financial projections, management, pricing, costing, practical marketing, and business management.
“On completion of the course, they were equipped to understand how business profits are calculated, the facts which determine the ‘right price’, the concept of working capital and preparing budgets. Also, the importance of stock control, and knowing how to present a business plan to financiers.
“What is encouraging in this year’s cohort of graduating businesswomen is that they are venturing into more diverse industries. This is a positive move as the demands of our business operating environment are constantly evolving. This programme is also built on the foundation of our societal purpose strategy.”
A beneficiary, Nthatisi Makotoko, said she started a marketing company in 2009 but later faced load-shedding challenges.
Makotoko decided to expand her company’s services, offering to supply backup power solutions for homes and small businesses.
“The need for backup power solutions has only intensified in recent years, which recently led me to look for ways to grow my business more sustainably. A friend recommended PwC’s Faranani Rural Women Training Initiative. Completing the course was one of the best things I could have done for my business this year, as I learnt how to implement proper structures within it, and how to perform certain operations properly,” said Makotoko.
To date, 4 104 women across Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, the Eastern Cape, North West, KwaZulu-Natal, the Free State and the Western Cape have graduated from the programme.
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